Fountain pen



Nov. l, 1960 J. MATscHKAL FOUNTAIN PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 med July 2s. 195e Fig. 7

Nov. l, 1960 J. MATscHKAL 2,958,085

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed July 23, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig@` E 6 Fgjg ./NVf/VTUR @few/19m FOUNTAiN PEN Johann Matschkal, Furth, Germany, assignor to A. W. yFalten-Castell, Stein, near Numberg, Germany, a firm of Germany Filed 'July Z3, 1956, Ser. No. 599,520

Claims priority, application *Germany Aug. 30, 1955 12 Claims. (Cl. 1'51`34) The present invention relates to a fountain pen particularly for drawing and lettering purposes of the type wherein the pen poin of such pen consists of a wirelike wick made of fabric, felt, or similar material.

Fountain pens of this gener-al type require the special provision of means for continuously supplying the ink chamber with air so as to replace the amount of ink which has `been withdrawn therefrom, as otherwise the supply of ink to the wicklike pen point would soon be interrupted.

Various types of construction of such drawing pens have previously been known which, however, had considerable disadvantages. One type of such prior foun- ,tain pen, for example, was provided with a valve mechanism for regulating the supply of India ink Ito the wicklike point and the proper venting of the ink chamber. The provision of ysuch special valve elements rendered such a pen .too expensive for the average user. Other types of such pens omitted such a valve mechanism for regulating the ink supply and instead provided a special vent control device for supplying the necessary amount of air to a point above the ink level in the ink chamber. Usually, such ldevice was provided at the rear end of the pen, and it also rendered the pen construction rather complicated Vand expensive, as well as unsafe.

It is an object `of the present invention to provide a wick-type fountain pen particularly for drawing and lettering purposes which overcomes the disadvantages of similar pens -of such type as previously designed by venting the -ink chamber in a much more simple, but very effective and safe manner, and which permits a fountain pen of such type -to be made and sold at a low price.

An important feature of the invention consists in providing in the pen -at least one venting channel which extends from the front end of the pen to the ink chamber. Such venting channel renders the provision of any kind of vent openings yat the rear end of the ink chamber unnecessary.

The venting channel according to the invention may be of various designs or shapes, but it preferably consists of a groove which is provided in the wall of the channel containing thewick. By placing such venting channel in direct communication with the wick, any ink uid which might possibly enter into the channel will be immediately absorbed by the wick so that the venting channel will always be unobstructed to insure a free flow of air to-the ink chamber and thus the proper supply of ink to the pen point of the wick.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the venting channel, instead of extending parallel with the wiclocontaining channel, may extend substantially helically. about the wick. The object of such .a construction is to increase the length of the venting channel and thus' its capillary action, so that the danger of any flow of ink through such channel will be reduced to a mini- `Such danger'of a ilow of through the venting chan- 2,958,085 Patented Nov. l, 19`60 ,d nel and a clogging of such channel may be further reduced if the pen is held in such a position while being used that the front inlet of the venting channel will be on the side of the wick opposite to the side facing toward the paper or the like. yln order to insure such position of the pen when being used, the front end of the pen may be marked with a notch, a colored line which contrasts with the color of 'the front end, -or in any other suitable manner to indicate the place of the vent inlet.

In order to render the new fountain pen independent of any particular writing position and -to insure a proper venting of the ink chamber at 4all times when theV pen is being used, the invention further provides a plurality of venting channels, for example, three such channels which are preferably radially offset relative to each other at an angle of Another important feature of the invention consists in the provision of one or more annular grooves in the wall of the wick-holding channel which communicate with each other through the venting channel. Such annular grooves yform collecting chambers for retaining any ink uid which might pass through the venting channel and which will then more easily be absorbed by the adjacent wick.

Instead of placing the venting channel directly adjacent to and along the wick, the invention further pnovides that the venting channel may extend 'from the forward end of the'pen to the ink chamber without being in direct contact with the wick but by communicating with the wick channel through transverse bores, channels or the like. Such transverse bores will also assure that any ink uid which might pass Vinto the venting channel will be absorbed by the wick Aso as to keep the channel free for the passage of air to the ink chamber.

In order to attain the object of the invention of producing a wick-type fountain pen at a relatively low cost and to facilitate the manufacture thereof, the invention further provides a separate Vinsert for holding the wick which is secured in the front end of the pen which, in turn, is screwed into the shaft portioncontaining the ink chamber. Such insert may be easily provided on its outside with one or more venting channels which may communicate with the central wick` channel through transverse bores or cross channels. Instead of such a construction, the venting channel may also be provided in the inner wall of the front end of the pen which is screwed into the shaft portion, in which case the insert is likewise provided with transverse bores or cross channels which communicate with the wick channel, or correspending grooves may be provided in the outer wall of the insert and in the inner wall of the front portion.

According to still another feature of the invention, annular grooves may also be provided either in the outer wall of the ,insert or in the inner wall of the outer front portion, or in both. These annular grooves again serve .as ink collecting chambers from which any ink which might flow therein through the venting channel will ythen pass through transverse bores or channels in the wall of the insert to the wick channel to beV absorbed therein by the wick.

Still another feature of the invention, particularly in connection with such collecting chambers, consists in laterally or radially oifsetting the sections of the venting channel which interconnect the individual collecting chambers relative to each other. Thus, the flow of any ink lluid which might enter into the venting channel from the ink chamber will gbe deflected and retarded, and such ink will bemore easily absorbed by the wick through the transverse bores or channels.

.'Finally, in order to prevent any ink from owing through the venting channel when the pen is not in use land is closed, and might, however, be severely jarred,

and to prevent such ink `from leaking into the cap and eventually out of the cap through the threaded portion thereof, the venting channel is preferably designed so that its inlet opening will be hermetically closed by a sealing surface within the cap. l

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description, particularly when read with reference to the accompanying drawings of preferred embodiments Vof the invention, in which- Fig. 1 shows, largely in a longitudinal cross section, a fountain pen according to the invention particularly for drawing and lettering purposes, with the cap for covering the pen point screwed thereon;

Fig. 2 shows a cross section taken along line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a cross section taken along line 3 3 of Fig. 1;

Figures 2a and 3a are cross-sections taken along the lines 2 2Vand 3 3, respectively, 'of Figure 1 of a fountain pen according to the invention having a slightly modified construction from that shown in Figures 2 and 3;

=Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal cross section of a pen according to a modification of the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a cross section taken along line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows a cross section taken along line 6 6 of Fig. 4; while Fig. 7 shows a perspective detail view of the front insert of the fountain pen according to Fig. 4.

Figs. 8 and 9 are partial longitudinal sections through front portions of pens according to further modifications of the invention, shown with the rear portions of these pens broken away.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 to 3, the drawing or lettering pen according to the invention consists of a shaft or body portion 1, a front end portion 2 supporting a wick 3, and a cap 4 for covering the front end including the wick. As shown in Fig. 1, the portion 2 is screwed into the shaft portion 1. For filling the pen with India or ordinary ink, the front portion 2 is either screwed out of the shaft portion 1 or the wick 3 is pulled out of its holding channel 5. This wick-holding channel 5 has an inner annular shoulder 6 which supports wick 3 and determines the extent to which it may be inserted into the channel. The wall of channel 5 is provided with a groove 7 which extends in the axial direction and serves as a venting channel for permitting air to enter into the ink chamber 8 in the shaft portion 1. Since vent groove 7 is immediately adjacent to wick 3, any ink which might flow through the groove will be absorbed by the wick before reaching the wick point. The wick, therefore, itself provides for keeping the venting channel unobstructed by any ink so that the air can pass freely therethrough at all times when the pen is being used. The particular arrangement and location of vent groove 7 may also be seen in Figs. 2 and 3. While Figures 2 and 3 show the provision of a single vent groove 7 in the Wall of channel 5, it is possible to provide a plurality of venting channels. Thus, in the embodiment according to Figures 2a and 3a, three vent grooves 7a, 7b and 7c are provided in the wall of channel 5 to insure that air will pass into the ink chamber 8, regardless of the Writing or drawing position in which the pen is held by the user.

If only a single venting channel (Figures 2 and 3) is provided, the location of the front opening of the vent 19 is suitably marked on the outside of the pen so that the user can readily turn the pen to the proper position, i.e., a position in which this vent opening is opposite to the side facing the paper or the like to which the pen point is applied.

In order to insure that, when cap 4 is screwed upon the shaft portion 1 by means of screw threads 9, the pen will always be leakproof even when severely jarred, the annular sealing surface 11 consisting of laterally extending shoulder means provided in cap 4 tightly engages with the corresponding sealing surface 10 at the end of the front portion 2. For using the fountain pen, cap 4 is unscrewed and placed in the usual manner on the rear end of shaft portion 1.

The modified embodiment of the invention as shown in Figs. 4 to 7 differs from that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 primarily by the different construction of the front or outside portion 12. This portion which is likewise screwed into shaft 1' does not, as in the first embodiment, take up and support wick 3 directly, but by means of an insert 13 which is mounted within portion 12. Outside portion 12 is provided with a threaded longitudinal bore into which the insert 13 is screwed which has a central longitudinal channel 15 which receives and supports the wick 3. The rear end of channel 15 is of reduced diameter and thus forms an annular shoulder, similarly as shown in Fig. l, with which the rear end of wick 3 engages, thus determining the extent to which the wick may be inserted into channel 15 and the length which its front end or pen point projects from the flanged front end of insert 13. On the outer wall of insert 13, a plurality of annular ink collecting chambers 17 are provided which are interconnected by longitudinally extending channels 18 which are radially offset relative to each other. Each chamber 17 further communicates with the central bore in insert 13 and thus with wick 3 through one or more bores 20 which extend radially or at diametrically opposite points through the wall of insert 13. These annular chambers 17 and connecting channels 18 may be provided as shown in Figs. 4 to 7 by corresponding annular grooves 17 and longitudinal slots 18 in the outer and inner threads 16 on insert 13 and the inner wall of the central bore of the outer portion 12. They may also be formed by only cutting annular grooves 17 and interconnecting slots 18 in the outer wall of insert 13, but so as to be of greater depth than threads 16. Instead of providing the annular grooves 17 in the outer wall of insert 13, they may also be provided in the inner wall of the outer member 12. The front end of insert 13 further has a longitudinal bore 19 which connects the most forward groove 18 with the outside and serves as a vent which communicates through chambers 17 and slots or channels 18 with the inside of ink chamber 8. Any ink which might ow from ink chamber 8 through channels 18 into the collecting chambers 17 will be absorbed by wick 3 through the radial bores 20 so that the venting channel, taken as a whole, will be kept free of uid and can properly execute its function.

The fountain pen as shown in Fig. 4 may also be closed by a cap similarly as shown in Fig. 1 which may be screwed upon the outer threads on the front end of shaft 1' and an inner annular sealing shoulder of which then tightly engages with the front end of insert 12 to close the vent opening hermetically and thus to render the pen absolutely leakproof.

Although in the embodiments of the invention as shown in the drawings the venting channel, taken as a whole, extends in the axial direction of the pen, such venting channel may also be helically shaped so as to extend the length thereof and further to reduce any possibility of ink flowing through the channel. Such construction is shown in Figure 8 according to which a front end portion 21 of a pen is provided with an internal helical groove or channel Z7 extending from the front end of the portion 21 to the ink chamber 8. This groove or channel 27 has a capillary action and surrounds the wick 3 which is held in the holding channel 5 in the same way as in the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3.

In the embodiment of Figure 9, a front end portion 31 of a pen has three parallel annular ink collecting chambers or grooves 23 which are provided in the wall of the channel holding the wick 3. These chambers or groovesv 23 surround the wick 3 and are interconnected by a venting channel running in the direction of the axis of the pen, such as a capillary groove 70, provided in the wall of the channel 5 and connecting the chambers or grooves 23. This groove 70 is similar to the venting channel 7 in Figures 1 to 3. A mark 22 on the outside of the front end of the portion 31 indicates the position of the venting channel or groove 70, so that the user has no diiiiculties in properly applying the pen to the writing surface or the like.

Furthermore, instead of extending the wick only up to the ink chamber 8, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, it may also be extended to reach into such chamber. Also, it is advisable to iill ink chamber 8 with an absorbent material, such :as cotton, glasswool, or the like.

Although myinvention has been illustrated and described withreference `to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modications within the scope of the appended claims.

' Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim rs:

1. A fountain pen comprising in combination `a pen body portion, an ink reservoir chamber disposed within said body portion, a front member secured to one end of said pen body portion and provided withv a central channel therein communicating with said ink reservoir chamber, a capillary wick member entirely iilling said central channel, the front end of said wick member projecting beyond said central channel and forwardly of said front member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir chamber disposed `adjacent said central channel and communicating with said Wick member at least at points along its length, said Venting channel being large enough to permit suicient absorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air flowing into said ink reservoir chamber.

2. A fountain pen comprising in combination a pen body portion, an ink reservoir chamber disposed within said body portion, a front member removably secured to said pen body portion, and having a central channel therein communicating with said ink reservoir chamber, a capillary wick member entirely filling said central channel, the frontend of said wick mem-ber projecting beyond said central channel and forwardly of said front member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir chamber disposed adjacent said central channel forming a narrow groove in the Wall around said central channel, said wick member and said venting channel both extending from the front end of said front member to said ink reservoir chamber, said venting channel communicating with said wick member at least at points `along its length and being large enough to permit suicient absorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air owing into said ink reservoir chamber.

3. A fountain pen as de'lin'ed in claim 2, wherein said capillary venting lchannel extends substantially helically around said wick member in the wall of said central channel.

4. A fountain pen as deiined in claim l, wherein the location of the opening of said venting channel adjacent the front end of said front member and adjacent said wick member is marked on the outside of said front member.

5. A fountain pen as defined in claim 1, wherein three parallel capillary venting channels are provided within said front member, said venting channels being radially olfset relative to each other at an angle of 120.

6. A fountain pen as dened in claim 2, wherein at least one additional annular capillary venting channel is provided in said front member concentrically disposed relative to said wick member and communicating therewith and with said capillary venting channel extending to the ink reservoir chamber, said additional annular capillary Venting channel serving as collecting channel for any ink which tends to flow into said venting channel extending to said ink reservoir chamber.

7. A fountain pen comprising Vin combination a pen -body portion, an ink reservoir chamber disposed within said body portion, a front member removably secured to said body portion and having a central channel therein communicating with said ink reservoir chamber, a capillary wick member entirely illing said central channel, the front end of said wick member projecting beyond said central channel and forwardly of said yfront member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir cham-ber and being spaced from said central channel, at least one transverse apperture connecting said venting channel with said central channel and said wick member to permit sufficient ab sorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air flowing into said ink reservoir chamber.

8. A fountain pen comprising in combination a pen body portion, an ink reservoir chamber located within said body portion, a front member secured to said body portion and having a 4first central channel, an insert body disposed in said first central channel and secured to said front member, a further central channel provided in said insert body and a wick member entirely filling said further central channel, both central channels communicating with 'said ink reservoir chamber, the front end of said wick member projecting beyond said further central channel and forwardly of said front member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir chamber and spaced from said further central channel, at least one annular aperture communicating with said capillary venting channel, and transverse apertures connecting said annular aperture with said further central channel and said wick member to permit suiiicient absorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air iiowing into said ink reservoir chamber.

9. A fountain pen comprising Ain combination a pen body portion having a casing, an ink reservoir chamber disposed within said body portion, a front member secured to said pen body portion casing and having a first central channel, an insert body located in said first central channel and secured to said front member, a further central channel in said insert body and a wick member entirely filling said further central channel, both of said central channels communicating with said ink reservoir chamber the front end of said wick member projecting beyond said further central channel and forwardly of said front member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir chamber disposed in said irst central channel and eXteriorly of said insert body, at least one annular chamber communicating with said capillary venting channel, and transverse apertures connecting said annular chamber with said further central channel and said wick member to permit suicient absorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary Venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air owing into said ink reservoir chamber.

10. A fountain pen as defined in claim 9, wherein said annular chamber separates said capillary venting channel at least into two capillary venting channel sections which are :radially olfset relative to each other and connected by sa-id annular chamber.

11. A fountain pen as dened in claim 9, wherein a plurality of annular chambers are provided which separate said capillary venting channel into a plurality of capillary venting channel sections, each extending substantially in the axial direction of the pen, said capillary venting channel sections being radially offset relative to each other and connected by said annular chamber.

12. A fountain pen comprising in combination a pen body portion having a casing, an ink reservoir chamber disposed within said body portion, a front member removably secured to said body portion and having a central channel therein communicating with said ink reservoir chamber, a capillary wick member entirely lling said central channel, the front end of Said wick member projecting beyond said central channel and forwardly of said front member to serve as a writing element, at least one capillary venting channel for said ink reservoir chamber in the vicinity of said central channel and forming a narrow groove in the wall around said central channel, said Wick member and said venting channel both extending from the front end of said front member to said ink reservoir chamber, said venting channel communicating with said Wick member at least at points along its length and being large enough to permit sucient absorption by said wick member of any ink which tends to flow into said capillary venting channel to maintain an unobstructed passageway for air flowing into said ink reservoir chamber, said front end of said front member defining an annular sealing surface which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said front member and disposed around said Wick member for the wick member and the capillary venting channel adjacent said wick member, and a cap member adapted to cover said front member and being removably secured to said pen casing, said cap member having an annular sealing surface therein adapted tol engage tightly with said sealing surface of said front member.

Reereuces Cited in the le of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 950,483 Howe Mar. 1, 1910 1,413,311 Auld Apr. 18, 1922 2,466,785 Y Schreyer Apr. 14, 1949 2,514,729 Snodgrass July l1, 1950 2,528,921 Swanson Nov. 7, 1950 2,554,654 Wittnebert May 29, 1951 2,640,216 Gottlieb June 2, 1953 2,713,176 Rosenthal July 19, 1955 2,732,824 Brown Jan. 3l, 1956 2,802,450 Wittnebert Aug. 13, 1957 2,880,703 Chadbourn Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 499,903 Great Britain Jan. 31, 1939 

